Sugar Plum Nightmare
by Lumendea
Summary: All Rose wanted was a trip to Earth for Christmas, but strange dreams are suddenly plaguing her, Jack, and the Doctor. What is real and what is not is difficult to be certain of and a strange figure calling himself the Dream Lord is playing a cruel game with them. Holiday rewrite of Amy's Choice.
1. Chirping Birds

Sugar Plum Nightmare

By Lumendea

Chapter One: Chirping Birds

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Happy Holidays! This is an interlude episode in the Guardians of the Universe Journeys Amongst the Stars as I've found it is easier to deal with the Christmas Specials by putting them in separate stories.

…

"What do you mean that it's Christmas?" the Doctor asked. He slid out from under the TARDIS console, staring up at Rose in apparent surprise. "It was just Christmas."

"Yes, well it is something that happens every year," Rose said gently. She had to push down the urge to laugh. "And according to my journal, we're back to December 23rd in my relative time."

"Seems sudden."

"I literally just finished playing silver bells on my violin," Rose sighed. Smiling softly at the Doctor, she shook her head in amusement. "I've been playing carols for the last few days."

The Doctor turned to look at Jack who had been helping him. Jack chuckled. "She has been, Doctor, you even commented on it yesterday. Mind you, at the time you were tinkering."

"I don't-"

"Yes, you do," Jack and Rose said together.

The Doctor scowled and sat up, glaring at Jack and almost pouting. Rose leaned against the console beside the Doctor.

"Come on, a quick trip to Earth. Just a couple of days for me to visit my mum and friends." She nudged his boot lightly. "I want to see Jack as part of the conga line."

"There's a conga line?" Jack jumped to his feet and leaned towards Rose. "Tell me more."

"My mum's annual Christmas party is more than a bit wild. And at this point basically, the whole neighborhood comes so there'll be women there that I don't care if you flirt with who are looking for some fun."

"I'm really liking the sound of this," Jack said. He winked at Rose and then turned to the Doctor with wide eyes. "Can we go, Doctor? Can we, can we?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes and climbed to his feet. Rose could see the touch of a smile trying to take hold on his face and inwardly cheered.

"You're sure it's Christmas?"

"Yes." Rose met his gaze and smiled. "I'm sure. And if we're lucky-" Rose cut herself off. "Nope, I'm not going to say it, but you know."

The Doctor chuckled. "Yeah, I know, Jeopardy Friendly."

"You were having that problem long before me, Trouble Magnet," Rose countered.

"I'm still standing here," Jack said drily. "Just a reminder."

"Maybe getting you off my ship for a couple of days is a good plan," the Doctor replied. He side-eyed Jack, but there was no real irritation in his voice.

"So, Earth for Christmas?" Rose pressed. She smiled sweetly up at the Doctor and waited for his agreement.

"Christmas on Earth…." The Doctor paused as if seriously considering it. Rose pouted a little and his eyes sparkled with amusement. "I suppose I can handle your mother for a day or two."

Rose rewarded him with a happy cheer and a kiss on the cheek. His cheeks turned even redder than usual as he hit the lever. Then Rose heard the strange sound of birds singing. Her legs shook underneath her and she drifted off.

….

It was a busy day on Bannerman Road. The Tyler's brick home was decorated tastefully with some lights and there were sounds of pots and pans being shifted coming from the kitchen. A grinding sound filled the garden and a blue box appeared in the center of the snow-covered lawn. A moment later the door opened and the Doctor stepped outside followed by Jack Harkness.

"You sure about this?" Jack asked. "I know it isn't easy for you-"

"I promised her," the Doctor sighed. He looked towards the house like a condemned man. "Thanks for coming along."

"Course," Jack said, almost gently. "Any chance to see Rosie."

The Doctor nodded; his chest tight. This hurt. This hurt more than most things had. He should turn around and get in his box and leave while he still could. There was too much baggage here. He couldn't remember everything that had been said, but there had been words and she'd left. The Doctor knew that it was a cold weight in his chest and he was just as happy that those horrible details escaped him.

The back door of the house flew open. Rose Tyler stepped out into the garden, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt dusted with a bit of flour. Her long golden hair was piled atop her head in a messy bun and there was flour on her cheek. When her eyes landed on him, they glowed with pleasure and his hearts both jumped.

Why had she left? Those details escaped him, but he was tempted, so tempted to try and fix what had gone wrong. Rose rushed to the Doctor and threw her arms around him. He laughed and accepted the hug from her before stepping away and letting Jack give her a hug.

"It's good to see you, Rosie," Jack said. "Hasn't been the same without you."

Rose released Jack and tucked a strand of hair behind her ears. It was brilliant to see them, a dull ache eased from her that she couldn't fully understand.

"I've missed you both," Rose said. She smiled so widely at the Doctor that her cheeks hurt. Something was nagging at her; this was off somehow. She gestured at the house, unsure of what more to say. That felt wrong, not knowing what to say to the Doctor, but that was where they were now.

"You're just in time," she said. "The guests are arriving and I know they'll be happy to see you."

Rose leaned up to kiss the Doctor's cheek but didn't linger. His hand touched hers, but neither of them moved to interlink their fingers. She didn't understand why it left her with that odd sense that something wrong growing stronger.

She headed back inside, smiling as Jack and the Doctor followed her. The oven timer beeped and Rose rushed over, grabbing a potholder and pulling out a tray of cookies. Thankfully, they weren't badly overdone. She'd give them to Clyde, that boy never cared if her cookies were overbaked, he was glad to have home-baked goods. Luke and Skye were the picky ones.

There was a wedding photo on the wall; Rose in a white dress and Mickey in his military dress. As Rose looked at it, a memory nudged at her and she almost accepted it. The haze trying to take hold was almost enough to convince her, but it wasn't right. The Doctor had stopped and was looking at the photo, a small frown on his face and a dark shadow in his eye. Then, when he noticed her watching him, he forced a grin.

"So, doing well?"

"Yeah," Rose said slowly. It was the right thing to say, but something seemed wrong. "Doctor…"

"What is it, Rose?" He started to reach for her but pulled his hand back at the last second. Jack made a small pained sound.

Then Rose heard birds singing and had just enough time to be surprised at how loud they were and that Mickey needed to check the roof before everything slipped away.

….

She woke up on the floor of the console room, her heart racing in shock and pain before realizing where she was. Sighing in relief, Rose had climbed to her feet and rushed over to join the Doctor by the controls before realizing that she'd fallen asleep in the console room. The vivid dream lingered, not fading the way that most dreams did.

"What happened?" Rose asked. She blinked in surprise as Jack climbed to his feet, eyes unfocused and groggy. "Doctor, why did Jack and fall asleep, did something happen?"

"I was asleep too," the Doctor said. He turned and looked at her, his eyes brightening at the sight of her. He opened his mouth and then closed it.

"I had a weird dream," Jack groaned. "Rose, you were living at your mum's house and we came to visit you." He shook his head, not seeing Rose's widening eyes.

"I had the same dream," Rose said slowly. "It was so weird. I knew something wasn't right, but I didn't understand that I was dreaming."

"Wait," Jack pressed. "We had the same dream?" He looked to the Doctor. "What's happening? Is that part of Rose's telepathy?"

"No," the Doctor shook his head. Then he sighed loudly, the sound echoing in the TARDIS. "I had the same dream and my shields are up."

"Any chance you're the source of the nightmare?" Rose asked, switching how she classified the dream. "Could it be your telepathy affecting us?"

"Unlikely, but it doesn't matter. We're back in the TARDIS and awake now."

The sound of chirping birds made Jack straighten in alarm. "Doctor, if this is the real TARDIS then how can I hear-"

All three of them slumped to the floor as the birdsong echoed around them.

…

They were back in the kitchen, all waking up from their places at the table. Rose jumped up and spun around, glaring at everything around her and searching for any sign of a threat. Once she was satisfied that there wasn't anything immediately putting them in danger, she turned back to the Doctor.

"This isn't real," she said firmly. "I was a bit confused earlier, but I can feel that something is wrong."

"I don't know," Jack said carefully. "This feels real." He cleared his throat awkwardly and looked around. "It's possible that things don't happen in the way you think."

Rose briefly considered that. Maybe they'd had a fight and the Doctor needed some time to process so she'd left the TARDIS, but she shook her head. No, that wouldn't account for… well, the great awkwardness that was her relationship with Mickey. Even if she'd hit a hiccup on her course with the Doctor, she'd never go for Mickey. He was better than being her second choice and she was pretty sure that his romantic feelings for her had faded. They were more siblings now than potential lovers.

"No," she said firmly. "But… but this could be connected to another life of mine…" Then she paused and shook her head. "I know I did marry Mickey in some other alternate timelines where you and I never met," Rose told the Doctor, "But the house isn't right. This is something else."

"Feels real," Jack said.

"Dreams feel real when you're having them," the Doctor said. He was keeping his eyes on Rose. "You can't tell when you're dreaming."

"But we're sharing dreams," Rose said. "That isn't normal."

She couldn't sit still, but Rose also had no interest in touching anything in the house. Her mum's voice was drifting in from the living room, but thankfully she hadn't come in yet. Platters of food were spread out across the counters and Christmas music was playing, hinting that sooner or later, her mum's Christmas party would be starting.

"I don't like this," Rose said. "I want to go home. Doctor, how can we stop this?"

The sound of birds made Rose stop pacing. She grabbed onto the back of the chair, but she wasn't able to sit down again before drifting off.

…..

The TARDIS was a welcome sight, but Rose was suspicious of even this. The Doctor jumped to his feet and held out a hand to help her up, but he didn't meet her eyes. She wanted to reassure him again, but confusion was exhausting her mind.

"We're back," Jack said. He shook his head. "That was… I thought it was real, but this is real."

"Maybe," the Doctor said. He was already checking the controls, an intense expression of worry on his face. "We could be flashing forward in time."

"Could it something you did with the TARDIS?" Jack asked. He bent down to check the area that the Doctor had been working on.

"No," the Doctor answered gruffly. "That was just a quick check. I didn't do anything to the TARDIS."

"Then maybe something else is wrong," Jack offered. "Can we do a diagnostic check?"

"I don't think it's the TARDIS," Rose said. "That can't be the future." Jack and the Doctor exchanged a look and the Doctor quickly shifted his focus away from Rose. She frowned and narrowed her eyes. "It isn't real. I wouldn't leave the TARDIS and settle in London."

"Never say never," the Doctor said. "And I was visiting you so it could be temporary," he suggested. Rose saw him swallow. "Family issue of some kind." He didn't sound like he believed it.

"No, it's a dream," Rose said. "I know it is."

"How can you be so sure?" the Doctor asked. "We can't trust anything we see or hear or feel. Consider everything, no matter how real it feels. Look for all the details that don't ring true."

"Yeah," Rose said. "And the detail of me being back on Earth doesn't ring true."

"Rose-"

"You know why I wouldn't go back to Earth," Rose insisted. She met the Doctor's blue eyes sternly. "That is false. I know it is."

"Rose," Jack called gently. "I mean are you sure-"

"Remember what I told you?" Rose asked carefully, turning her gaze towards Jack. "That isn't how things are supposed to happen."

"Rose," the Doctor said, almost in a pained voice. "We can't assume-"

Before the argument could continue, the lights of the TARDIS turned off. Only a few emergency lights remained on and Jack lunged for a torch fixed to the underside of the console. As he shined it around, Rose looked over at the Doctor. His face was slack with horror.

"The TARDIS is dead."

"How?" Jack pressed.

They didn't have a chance to pursue that line of questioning. The sound of singing birds echoed through the dark console room. Rose's legs buckled under her, making her slide to the floor as exhaustion took hold. The last thought she had was that this TARDIS couldn't be real with birds, but that her life in London couldn't be real either.


	2. The Dream Lord

Sugar Plum Nightmare

By Lumendea

Chapter Two: The Dream Lord

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

…

Rose almost screamed when she woke up in the kitchen. Her eyes landed on the photo of her marrying Mickey and she stormed across the room. In one smooth movement, she grabbed the photograph off the wall and sent it flying into the trash can. There was a faint cracking of glass which made her feel a little bit better.

"This feels so real," Jack said. He stared at his hand and flexed his fingers. But thankfully, he looked to Rose and nodded to her. "But it isn't."

"No," Rose said firmly.

"We don't know-"

"If this was Rose's life, don't you think she'd be convinced," Jack said carefully. Rose could tell that Jack wanted this to be false as much as she did and some of her irritation faded away. "She seems certain. More certain than either of us."

The Doctor didn't answer. He was studying his hand. "Not a hologram or a simulation."

"I don't remember waking up this morning," Jack said suddenly. He was frowning now. "I remember being in the TARDIS, but not getting up this morning. We were at the bazaar yesterday. Rose was shopping for gifts and we were looking at parts. We came home and had takeout from that 22nd-century Chinese place. Rose painted a bit while you read and then we went to bed. I don't remember waking up."

"That could be important," Rose agreed. "I don't remember waking up this morning either."

The Doctor was looking around the kitchen, not answering them and Rose wasn't sure to make of his silence. She glanced at the doorway of the kitchen. Sooner or later, they were going to come across someone else and that would only make things more complicated. If this was a dream or a trick of some kind then they couldn't trust Sarah Jane or Spock across the street. The mere idea of that hurt.

"Are there ways we can test?" Jack asked.

"No," the Doctor said. "No easily. Dreams seem real when you're having them."

"Even for you?" Rose asked. "Big Time Lord brain and all?"

"Even me."

Jack snorted a little at that, but he was inching towards the doorway. Rose tensed, her earlier worry about some phantom of her mother or Mickey showing up rearing its head. She searched the kitchen for anything that could be a clue but it was normal. Horribly normal with trays of food ready to go out and a few small decorations up here and there.

"Let's go outside," Rose said. She nodded towards the back door. "Check the TARDIS here for clues."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Jack agreed quickly.

The Doctor didn't argue and they headed out of the house. Rose breathed a little easier and risked peering around the house towards the street. She couldn't see anyone, but Sarah Jane's house across the way was there. Everything looked normal, but Rose didn't trust any of it. They were approaching the TARDIS when the sound of birds made the Doctor mutter something that the TARDIS wouldn't translate. Rose groaned as her legs started to give out. Jack turned and helped her catch herself. They slowly knelt the ground, unable to fight the exhaustion taking hold.

…

The first thing Rose noticed was that she was freezing and the second that they were in the TARDIS. Jumping to her feet, she rubbed her arms and hissed as she breath wafted on the air in front of her. Jack was immediately next to her, pressing his shoulder against hers and Rose snuggled closer to him. The Doctor was checking over the TARDIS.

"Doctor, it's freezing in here!" Jack huffed. "What's wrong with the TARDIS?"

"I told you she's dead," the Doctor snarled. "Everything's off. Sensors, core power. It's all been switched off. We're drifting in space, who knows when and where. The scanner's down so we can't even check our location. Someone, something, is overriding my controls."

"Well, that took a while," a condescending voice said behind them. "Honestly, I'd heard such good things. Last of the Time Lords, the Oncoming Storm."

They all spun around to find an intruder standing calmly in the dark doorway, leaning lazily on the railing. The man was only an inch or so taller than Rose, dressed in a dark suit. His dark ginger hair caught in the light and his eyes swept over the three of them, lingering on the Doctor and Rose the longest. A smile that did not reach his eyes took over his face. Rose braced herself for the worst as the Doctor stepped forward.

"How did you get into my Tardis? What are you?"

"What shall we call me? Well, if you're the Time Lord, let's call me the Dream Lord."

"Dream Lord," Jack repeated. "That's a who, not a what."

The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and scanned the Dream Lord with a thunderous expression. The Dream Lord just looked amused. Then the Doctor pulled something from his pocket and tossed it through the Dream Lord, it hit the far wall with a thud.

"Interesting. I'd love to be impressed, but Dream Lord. It's in the name, isn't it?" He vanished only to appear behind Rose and Jack. "Spooky. Not quite there."

"Jack, Rose, care to take a guess," the Doctor said more than asked.

"Dream Lord, he creates dreams," Jack said. "Projections." He gestured around. "He's not really here, just projecting into our heads."

Rose shivered at the suggestion but nodded. She thought her telepathic shields were up so how was this thing getting through. The only thing she knew that could always get through was the TARDIS.

"Ah the flyboy captain," the Dream Lord cooed. "Not the most impressive guess." His gaze turned to Rose. "What does the favourite think?"

"I think Jack is right," Rose said. "But I'm wondering how you're in our heads at all. The Doctor and I have shields and Jack is no slouch at protecting his mind."

"Oh, the thorn is coming out," the Dream Lord laughed. His eyes sparkled with amusement and Rose really didn't like that expression. "I'm not something that you can keep out with your little shields."

"What do you want then?" Jack asked.

"NO witty banter?" The Dream Lord shrugged. "Very well, then here's your challenge. Two worlds. Here, in the time machine, and there, on a street that attracts all kinds of dangerous attention. One is real, the other's fake. And just to make it more interesting, you're going to face in both worlds a deadly danger, but only one of the dangers is real. Tweet, tweet. Time to sleep." The sound of birds filled the TARDIS. "Oh. Or are you waking up?"

Jack and Rose slumped against each other, slowly falling to the ground. Glaring at the Dream Lord, the Doctor clutched the edge of the TARDIS controls and tried to stay awake, but he too was soon asleep.

…..

It was cold in the garden and Rose was not dressed for being outside in December. Shivering, she sat up and looked around nervously. Music was coming from the house and she had a bad feeling that the party was starting. There'd be no avoiding the people of this nightmare soon. Jack climbed to his feet and helped her up, giving her a hug and rubbing her arms.

"We should get you a coat," he said softly.

"This seems real," the Doctor murmured. "There has got to be a way to tell the dream and reality apart." He was glaring at the house.

"Well that is your challenge isn't it?" the Dream Lord came out of the back of the house, a bit of tinsel on his shoulder and holding a drink. "If you die in the dream, you wake up in reality. Healthy recovery in next to no time. Ask me what happens if you die in reality?"

"I'd imagine we die," Jack snapped. "Bit overly dramatic aren't you."

The Dream Lord just chuckled and turned his gaze back to the Doctor. "One universe was never big enough for you, Doctor so here's another."

"How do you know the Doctor?" Rose asked, narrowing her eyes. Something about this man was familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. There was something in his manner even if his threats weren't right.

"He's been around," the Dream Lord answered. Then he was gone.

"I hate him," Jack hissed. "But what is this deadly danger? This is Rose's street."

"A lot has happened here," Rose replied. She rubbed her arms. "At least in the real world."

"I saw some coats inside," Jack said. He nodded towards the house. "Be right back."

She watched Jack vanish inside and collected her thoughts. It was hard with the cold biting into her skin and an itch of worry at the back of her neck that wouldn't go away. Then again, they were in a dream and it probably wouldn't go away. Still, she knew one thing that she could at least try to address.

"Why don't you believe that I won't go back to Earth?" Rose asked.

"No one can see the future, Rose." The Doctor's voice was too light as he crossed his arms over his chest. He was deflecting.

Rose held in a huff. She knew that she wasn't going to win this fight. It wouldn't be until his next body that he would really started to believe that he was stuck with her. That would be the day that he'd ask her to marry her, the day that he found out about their daughter Astra and finally got it through his thick skull that she wasn't going to leave. She wasn't going to win today, but she wasn't going to stay silent.

"I'm staying with you forever!" Rose gestured around her. "This isn't real. Full stop. This is in our heads."

"Whose forever?" The Doctor's voice was gruffer than usual, thick with a whole mess of emotions. "Do you want me to watch you get old and sick while I can't do anything to help you? Even I can't change that Rose! I have limitations!" The Doctor stepped closer to her, almost towering over her as he turned back to intimidation. Rose however just calmly met his eyes. "All that it will come to is me burying you on some planet far away and long before or long after your own time."

"Does saying that out loud make it easier?" Rose asked calmly. She looked up at him sadly, searching his face. "If you dump me on Earth are you going to look back and sigh in relief? Feel like you dodged a bullet or avoided a cliff?"

"I wouldn't dump you," the Doctor muttered. His shoulders slumped as it sank in that she wasn't cowed by his shouting. She never was. It was one of the things he admired most about her. One of the things that had gotten him into this horrible position. "Not you. Never you."

"Then you're stuck with me Doctor because I'm not leaving. I'll give you my forever. Maybe that will cause us both pain, but I don't believe that you'd be happier without it. I lo-"

"Don't," the Doctor ordered. His voice was tight and rough as his shoulders slumped. "Don't say it, Rose. If you say it… I'll say it back."

"Would that be so terrible?" He'd said them once before, but Rose knew he hadn't wanted to. The pyramid had been a threat to them all. If he could have found a way to open it up and release oxygen without confessing then she knew that he would have.

"Yes," the Doctor answered in a broken voice. "You're human Rose. There's no happy ending here." He shuddered and Rose was frozen in place. "You're my weakness as it is. Can't make it worse."

Then she was able to move again and a sad almost resigned sigh escaped Rose. "Doctor, look at me," Rose ordered softly, knowing that he would. When he turned his blue eyes towards her, Rose could see the storm brewing in them, but it was pained and confused rather than angry. Rose took a careful step towards him, half expecting him to bolt. "I'm your friend first and foremost. I do love you," she informed him gently. "But I want to be your choice. I want us to be your choice despite all the reasons why we shouldn't happen. So, I can wait until you're ready to make me your choice." She reached up and touched his face gently. "And you don't have to say it back. Love isn't something you're backed into or obligated to feel. Sort out what you want and when you do, I'll be here."

"You can't promise that, Rose," the Doctor said. His voice was rough and Rose gave him a teary smile. She'd managed to break something in him and she hated it. "You can't."

"Yes, I can," Rose whispered. She eased her hand away from his face and gave him a soft smile. "Because that's what love is, Doctor. It's a promise."

He wants to say those words. Wants to be able to say them without her life on the line. Rose knows, thanks to that bloody pyramid. He knows that she knows he loved her whenever she gives him that soft affectionate smile that drives back all the pain and darkness brewing inside him.

Yet she deserves to hear him say those words again when he isn't being forced to. He wants to, but he can't. They're big words to him. Some might be able to throw them around easily, but he can't. Never has been able to, not in any life. Saying them now would change everything, tell Rose that he's ready to let them be and while he wants that he's still afraid of it. Right now he can at least pretend a little that he doesn't love her, that she doesn't love him and that they aren't a tragedy in the making. He doesn't want Rose to be a tragedy and wants to be the one that makes her that even less.

Still, it is coming. He can feel that much with certainty. She's part of his future and only a few short years ago he'd been certain that he didn't have one. The Doctor knows that once he crosses that line he's going to love Rose with everything that he is. He's not going to be able to protect himself even a little and she'll rip down his last defenses. It scares him, but he knows that the day is coming. He isn't sure how it will play out: if he'll just snap one day and sweep her into his arms, if they'll be laughing in the library and he'll give in to the urge to kiss her or if it will come after one of the bad days and he'll decide that he needs her. If isn't the question anymore and when doesn't really matter. No, the terrifying question for the Doctor is what happens once she's gone?

Jack appeared in the former of his eye and Rose stepped way to accept a coat. It was a cream one that looked familiar. Jack avoided his gaze and the Doctor inwardly groaned. Great, the other companion had heard everything. Rose offered them both a small smile and the Doctor turned on his heel to head for the TARDIS. Hopefully, a non-dead TARDIS.


	3. Deadly Threat

Sugar Plum Nightmare

By Lumendea

Chapter Three: Deadly Threat

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

…

The inside of the TARDIS seemed normal, but Rose thought that something was off. The tone of the hum maybe or the level of the lights. Jack was close beside her and thankfully stayed silent as the Doctor began running a scan of the area. Rose was confident that they wouldn't find anything. Tension filled his shoulders and Rose glanced around the room, searching for any sign of herself. There was nothing.

"Where did you get the coat?" Rose asked softly.

"Wardrobe," Jack whispered back. He swallowed before adding, "I couldn't find your room."

Rose shook her head and held back a sigh in favor of watching the Doctor. Judging from the dark expression on his face, he wasn't finding anything.

"TARDIS can't identify anything wrong with herself or threats in the area." There was a beep and the Doctor frowned. "Hold on. The TARDIS is picking up dozens of nonhuman lifeforms, but…."

"But what, Doctor?" Jack pressed.

"But the signal is gone." The Doctor shook his head. "Couldn't get a lock."

"Deadly threat he said," Jack pointed out. "Any thoughts?"

"Not really," Rose answered. "We could go across the road and ask Mister Spock, but given the Dream Lord crafted this dream, I suspect he'll limit the access we have to anything helpful."

"It's Christmas," the Doctor said. "Earth's had a hard time the last few years."

"Not always," Rose countered. It was true that while there had a crisis on several Christmases, it wasn't absolute. Sometimes the crisis was on Christmas, but not on Earth. "Still, dozens of aliens on Bannerman Road isn't good." Then she shook her head. "Not that I believe that this is real, but I'm not quite ready to stab myself with my sword. There has to be a better way to get free."

"Plus, the Dream Lord might be lying," Jack said. "And harming ourselves will only make it worse. There's no reason to assume that he wouldn't just shove us into another dream, only worse."

Rose shivered at that idea, but if the Dream Lord was in their heads then just about anything was possible. "Any thoughts on how he's in our heads, Doctor?" Rose asked.

"Couple."

"Any ideas on how we can fight him?" Jack asked.

"Not yet."

The Doctor wasn't looking at them and Rose sighed softly. Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a little hug. That helped a little. Rose glanced towards the door, disliking how uncomfortable the TARDIS felt to her without any sign of her residency. She wasn't a slob by any means, but there was usually one of her coats, a sketchbook, or her violin in the console room.

"We've been in this dream awhile now," Jack said. "Longer than before."

"Might not want to put us back to sleep in the TARDIS," the Doctor said. "Since we're in the TARDIS in the other one."

"Somehow I doubt we can wait him out," Jack said drily.

A knock on the door ended that conversation. Jack shifted defensively, but a family voice called out for Rose. It sounded a bit like Skye. Holding back a sigh and trying to hide her trepidation, Rose headed for the door and opened it.

Her goddaughter was standing outside, looking at the TARDIS curiously. Her hair was mostly tucked under a hat, but Rose was sure that it was shorter than the last time she'd seen Skye properly.

"Hi, Skye," Rose said gently. Despite her confidence that this was a dream, she couldn't help but be fond of the illusion of her goddaughter. The girl appeared a little older, which fit the narrative, but it was hard to pin down what had changed exactly beyond her height. "How are you, bright spark?" Odd memories were trying to push their way forward and take hold, but Rose fought them off.

"I'm good." Skye leaned around her and peered past her. "Why is the Doctor here?"

"He came for a visit." Rose wasn't sure what she could do besides play along with the dream story until they figured out what was going on. "How are you?"

Skye shrugged, suddenly looking much more like a teenager. "Nothing's changed since tea last week. Luke's been helping me revise while he's visiting and Dad's been home so that's a bit weird."

"Well… at least you get to spend some extra time with them," Rose said. How was she so bad at small talk? Then again, this was a dream version of Skye that in theory had a few years of history that Rose didn't know. More memories tried to make themselves known. "I'll see you later, sweetie. Say hi to your Mum."

Skye didn't look impressed at the dismissal but nodded and headed for her house. A sigh of relief escaped Rose and she rubbed her forehead as another wave of memories fought their way forward. Jack was beside her in an instant.

"Rose?"

"I'm okay," she muttered. "It feels a bit like a telepathic attack, but…" she frowned. "It's not. It's something else. Like… I don't know." Rose turned to Jack and frowned. "Do you remember me leaving the TARDIS? Does this make sense to you?"

"Sort of…" Jack struggled for a moment. "It isn't clear. It's like the memory of a dream, but not solid."

"It could be the temporal displacement," the Doctor said. They both jumped and looked over at him. "If we are blinking forward through time then your memories could be jumbled."

"I don't think so," Rose said. "Dreams are a bit like that. You know stuff that helps make it real. In that sense, its' odd that I'm missing history unless the Dream Lord can't fully give it to us now that we're suspicious. Doctor, do you remember me leaving? Clearly, not just a vague certainty that I did leave?"

"Does it matter?"

"It might give us a clue as to what the Dream Lord is doing," Rose pointed out. Her patience was wearing thin and she didn't want to stay in this TARDIS. Fake or not, it hurt to even see a life in the TARDIS that she wasn't a part of. "And it's better than sulking in here."

She stepped outside and smiled when Jack and the Doctor followed her out. The Doctor sniffed the air and started heading towards the front of the house. Jack caught Rose's hand and squeezed. The comfort was nice, but Rose was disappointed that the Doctor had yet to take her hand. Somehow, some part of him was buying into this. Jack seemed to be holding onto her rejection of this reality as his guide. While she was grateful for it, Rose wasn't sure of the reason she was fighting back so strongly. Part of it had to be her knowledge of the future, but in a dream that might become warped or even forgotten and yet it was all totally clear to her.

"Doctor, do you think that my experience is the Violet Guardian is helping me?" Rose asked.

"Violet Guardian?" Jack asked.

"She's one of the Guardians of the Universe," Rose explained. "She has power over dreams and memory. She helped me once against a being called the Nightmare Man who had me trapped in the memories of my other lives." Jack gave her a confused look and Rose waved a hand. "Long story for later," she promised. "Maybe because I've been in something like this before, my senses are harder to fool."

The Doctor stopped and turned to look at her with an unreadable expression. Rose hated that she wasn't sure what he was thinking. Then a soft sigh escaped him.

"Maybe", he allowed. "But we need to take a look around." Rose took a step towards the Doctor, but he just grinned. "Meet you back here in half an hour. Be careful." Then he strode away, pointedly ignoring how wrong it felt not to take Rose's hand.

"Ouch," Jack muttered to Rose. "You okay?"

A soft sigh escaped Rose and she slid her hands into her pockets. "Yeah. This is just going to be a draining day." Giving Jack a small smile, Rose nudged his arm with her shoulder. "You want to stick together?"

"I don't know your street well," Jack replied in mock seriousness. "Sounds like a plan. Where should we start?"

Rose looked around and then sighed again. "I'm not sure. Probably the houses." She glanced at the different brick homes that lined the road. "If there is something here, it's probably hiding in the houses unless it likes the cold."

"So… your Mum's house first?"

"No." Rose was grateful Jack didn't call it her house. "Let's try Sarah Jane's."

They headed for Sarah Jane's house. The Doctor had left Rose's view and Rose really hoped that he wasn't getting into trouble off on his own. Her stomach was still tight at the wrongness of this place and she was becoming certain that her interactions with the Violet Guardian were helping her see through this illusion.

Sarah Jane's house hadn't changed much in this dream from what Rose knew. There were a few Christmas decorations in sight. She hesitated, uncertain and worried as they approached the front door. Jack leaned forward and knocked on the door and Rose braced herself for another awkward encounter.

"We'll figure this out, Rose," Jack promised gently.

"Hopefully," Rose said. Her heart was sinking, still hurt by the Doctor's reaction.

Jack squeezed her hand. "He'll come around. I think… I think seeing this, even a fake future, where you leave scares him."

"I wish he wouldn't let it scare him into pushing me away."

The door opened before Rose and Jack could become more worried about the Doctor. Sarah Jane with a few more gray hairs and a few more wrinkles was standing in the doorway. Her eyes lit up when she saw Rose but also flickered over to Jack curiously.

"Rose, hello," Sarah Jane said politely. "Come in. Jack, it's good to see you again."

"Thank you, Mrs. Chesterton-Smith." Jack gave Sarah Jane a charming smile.

"I'm surprised to see you," Sarah Jane admitted. She peered out the door into the road for a moment. "Is he here? Is something wrong?"

"Maybe," Rose admitted. "Can we talk to Spock?"

She still doubted that Spock would be able to find anything that the Dream Lord didn't want them to know. After all, this dream was his creation. The question was how much could they manage within the world? How much would the Dream Lord control every detail or would he be letting things play out.

"Of course," Sarah Jane said. She closed with the door and gestured to the stairs. Something beeped in the kitchen. "I'll be right up," Sarah Jane promised before heading towards the kitchen. "Skye, give me a hand please!"

There was a rush of footfalls from further back in the house. Rose heard Luke's voice and then Johnny's before Skye laughed at something. Jack touched her arm and Rose shook her head before she started climbing the stairs.

"This is creepy," Rose said. "I wish he'd chosen a different setting."

"Wouldn't have seemed as real," Jack pointed out.

"It doesn't seem as real now."

Sarah Jane's staircase was decorated with garland and there were other decorations scattered throughout the house. Some she recognized as having been made by Skye while unfamiliar ones seemed like an older Skye could have been the artist. Rose started to smile at the idea before firmly shoving her pleasure down. This wasn't real. There were some store-bought ones on display as well.

When they entered the attic, Mister Spock was already out and at the ready. There was an old table against the wall with an elf doll that was popular with small children and a Christmas snow globe on display. Rose shrugged off her coat but kept hold of it.

"Hello, Rose," Spock greeted.

"Hello, Spock. Happy Holidays," Rose offered.

"You seem distressed."

"The TARDIS picked up alien lifeforms," Jack said, stepping in. "A lot of them in the area before it lost the signal. We're hoping that you might be able to figure out what is in the neighborhood."

"I will run a scan," Spock announced. His screen changed to a map of Bannerman Road.

"What do you think?" Jack whispered. "Why put a threat in the dream if he wants to fool us? If it's about trapping us-"

"It might not be about trapping us," Rose said. She frowned and stared out the window. "What if it is about tormenting us. Like the Doctor said, he doesn't have a body."

"DO you think the Doctor knows him?"

"I'm not sure."

Something moved in the corner of Rose's eye. Turning her head, she searched the area by the door for any sign of what it was. Maybe Sarah Jane and Johnny had gotten a cat or something, but she didn't see anything moving now.

"Rose, I am not detecting any lifeforms other than those expected. The Doctor is on the next street over at the corner shop."

There was movement again. This time, Jack noticed too and shifted beside Rose into a defensive position. The small elf doll on the table turned its head. The small painted eyes narrowed and Rose took an instinctive step back. It looked like a normal holiday doll, the sort that the Americans had started using a few years ago and made a big deal out of, but it was starting to move. Despite its body appearing to be nothing but stuffing and cloth, it jumped onto its feet and hissed at her.

"Hello?" Rose tried. A flicker of fear was building in her chest as she remembered the Dream Lord's threat of a deadly danger. "What are you doing on Earth? Are you lost?"

Jumping off the shelf, the small alien flew at Rose, opening its mouth to expose two rows of sharp pointed teeth. A yelp escaped Rose and she jumped out of the way. The alien hissed as it landed on the ground only to bounce back up. Spock's screen turned to static, his voice becoming distorted. The alien rushed at them with surprising speed and Jack pulled Rose to the doorway, slamming it behind them.

…

The Doctor wasn't surprised to find the Dream Lord at the counter of the small corner shop. The off figure smiled at him as if amused by an inside joke. Glancing around, the Doctor noted that the small shop was empty of any other people and there were small decorations for the holiday all around.

"Hello, Doctor," the Dream Lord greeted. "Popping in for some milk? Or maybe some tea?"

"What is your game?"

"I'm hardly going to give it away already, am I?" the Dream Lord asked.

"Deadly threat, you said? When is that going to show up?"

"Oh, they're already here, Doctor." The Dream Lord gestured his hands around them. Then he made a show of peering around the Doctor. "Oh, you seem to be Roseless, but then, that's the whole bitter core of this, isn't it."

"This isn't real," the Doctor said firmly.

"No," the Dream Lord chuckled. "You hope it isn't real." A cruel smile took over his face and his eyes darkened. "You hope that your precious girl won't leave, won't get tired of waiting for you to get over your many many many issues." The Dream Lord shook his head. "But we both know that is never going to happen. You're too damaged for her, you're the wrong man and someday she is going to realize it."

"I'm a part of her timeline."

"Yes, the obsessed ex who stalks a young woman just to spend a little more time with her." The Dream Lord tutted and gave the Doctor a disapproving face. "You're taking dirty old man to a new level, Doctor. Well, I say obsessed ex, but you won't even be that will you?"

"You're playing on my fears."

"Or your future." The Dream Lord shrugged as if he didn't care. "But then, eventually, they'll be the same thing, won't they?" He smirked at the Doctor. "Nothing you can do, Time Lord. Time is your enemy." The Dream Lord chuckled. "Maybe this is a dream and she hasn't left yet, but soon or later she'll have no choice."

The Dream Lord vanished and the Doctor heard a window break. He wasn't sure where Jack and Rose were and cursed himself for splitting up. He'd let his emotions have too much control. Spinning around, his eyes widened as all across the shop the small elves that he'd dismissed as mere decorations stood up and hissed at him, menace in their eyes. If he hadn't been so worried and angry, he would have laughed.

Then birds began to sing and the Doctor snarled in frustration as his legs began to give out. He caught himself on the wall and stumbled around the counter. There was a staff door on the other side. His eyelids drooped, but he pulled out the sonic screwdriver. It whirled and the door clicked open. Ducking inside, the Doctor slammed it shut and quickly locked it. Something hit the door and he heard hissing. But it was too late for him to manage anything more. Slowly, he slumped to the floor as sleep overtook him.


	4. Confrontation

Sugar Plum Nightmare

By Lumendea

Chapter Four: Confrontation

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

…

Those elves had always been a bit off to Rose. Honestly, she was surprised that there was even one in Sarah Jane's house. If memory served, the reporter had ranted about them being Orwellian once and training children to accept surveillance. Then again, they lived in London which was a very monitored city so maybe Sarah Jane had changed her mind in the years that the nightmare apparently jumped.

Still, when she opened her eyes, Rose almost wished that she was back in the house with the evil Christmas elf. The TARDIS was cold. Immediately, her whole body tensed and her teeth started to chatter as she sat up.

"What the hell?" Jack asked. He jumped to his feet and shivered. "What's wrong with the heating."

"The TARDIS is dead, remember?" The Doctor snapped. He climbed to his feet while Jack turned and offered Rose his hand. "Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," Rose answered.

"Yeah, except for the fact that a creepy Christmas decoration just tried to kill me." Jack shook his head and glanced around.

"Nasty little things," the Doctor agreed.

"You saw them too?" Rose pressed. "The elves?"

"Yes, I saw them," the Doctor said. He was moving around the TARDIS, flipping switches. "He's definitely going with a Christmas theme."

"What's with those elves?" Jack asked. "They're a creepy decoration."

"They're a gimmick," Rose explained. "You give them to children and the story goes that they move every night because they are reporting to Santa. It's the parents moving them, at least in theory." Rose shuddered. "I found them creepy before and now they're alarming."

"So, they existed before," Jack said. "In the dream, its aliens taking the place of something that already existed." Then he shivered. "Uh, we should probably focus on this world's problem because it is freezing in here."

"Grab coats," the Doctor said. "Be careful though, with the TARDIS having no power, the rooms will be difficult to access."

"Are they gone?" Rose asked with a hint of alarm.

"No, they're saved," the Doctor assured her. "You just can't access them, but there are storerooms nearby. Should be blankets and lights in there."

Jack darted off before Rose could move, leaving her and the Doctor alone by the console. Rose couldn't remember the last time that things had been so awkward between them. She almost regretted her earlier words. Almost, but not quite. Of all the men in the universe, why did she have to decide that this was the one for her? Rose's lips quirked in amusement at her own thoughts and the Doctor seemed confused. Holding back a sigh or maybe a scowl, Rose moved closer to him and leaned against him. The smell of leather was reassuring.

"I'm not mad," Rose said. "And seriously, I'm not going to push so you don't have to be so jumpy."

The Doctor made a sound like he was going to speak but then decided against it. Instead, he shifted just enough to wrap an arm around Rose, giving her a quick hug. Rose sighed in relief and returned the embrace, grateful to cut through the tension a little. Jack returned with some blankets and his face lit up when he saw them together. It made him look years younger.

Thankfully, Jack was smart enough not to say anything. Despite the hug, the Doctor's mood was still stormy. The silence of the TARDIS was intense and Rose was aware of the absence of her vibrant hum. He came closer and handed Rose a heavy woven blanket with an unfamiliar pattern. It was very pretty and warm as she wrapped it around her shoulders. Even the Doctor took one without any grumbling.

"Why is it so cold?" Jack asked once they were all under blankets. "I would have thought the TARDIS was more resistant to heat transfer, even in space."

"Let's look." The Doctor pulled open the doors only to tense up. Beyond them was a brilliant blue star and the temperature in the console room dropped even further. The Doctor closed the doors and shook his head. "A cold star. We're drifting towards a cold star. That's our deadly danger for this reality. Bit more impressive than Christmas decorations."

"That can't be real," Jack said. He joined the Doctor at the door, shaking his head in disbelief.

Rose nodded, still shivering under the blanket. "Cold is caused by low thermal energy," she said. "Stars burn hot due to the reactions taking place inside of them, all that kinetic energy. They can't burn cold! Cold is like darkness, it's the absence of something."

"Probably," the Doctor said. At least he wasn't grinning in amusement. "But then, I don't know everything about the universe." Rose narrowed her eyes at him suspicious that he knew more than he was saying.

"This has to be the dream," Jack said. Then he stopped and looked at Rose. "But…"

"They're both probably dreams," Rose said. "After all, Dream Lord. It's sort of in the name."

"But if you're wrong-" Jack started to say.

"Theorizing won't save you," the Dream Lord teased. The three of them turned to find him lounging on the pilot's chair and flipping through Rose's sketchbook. At least what looked like Rose's sketchbook. "Oh, this one is nice. Really Rose, if you'd stayed on Earth you'd have had a marvelous art career."

"And yet I studied physics," Rose replied. "Art's good as a hobby. Wouldn't want it to be my job."

"Like UNIT is in the other reality?" the Dream Lord asked. "Defending the Earth alongside the husband."

Rose rolled her eyes. "That isn't real and I know it. Aren't you tired of this game; you can't be having that much fun?"

"You have about fifteen minutes you know," the Dream Lord said. He nodded towards the doors. "Before you fall into that star out there." He smirked at the Doctor. "Though… you'll be frozen long before then, won't you, Doctor?"

"Stay calm," the Doctor said urgently. "This might be the battle we need to lose."

"Or we need to lose them both," Rose said. She kept her gaze on the Dream Lord. "Because all of this is in our heads and we just need to wake up."

"Rose, careful," Jack whispered. He moved closer to her, trying to put himself between her and the Dream Lord.

"Ahhhh," the Dream Lord cooed. "How sweet and noble, Captain, but really, do you think that makes up for what you've done?"

Jack froze, sucking in a breath. "I've seen all of it, every fear of yours about those missing years." The Dream Lord laughed. "And maybe, just maybe I've seen the reality too. That truth that you've got buried so deep that you're sure it is gone for good." The Dream Lord leaned forward.

"Stop it," Rose snapped, anger flaring in her. "You're just toying with him."

"Are you really sure it was the Time Agency?" the Dream Lord asked. "Maybe it was a mental break, all on your own. What might have caused that?"

"Don't listen, Jack," Rose said. "He doesn't really know anything; he's just playing on our fears." Rose glanced at the Doctor who was watching with an empty face. "You're a good man. I know that I believe that."

"The great loyalty of Rose Tyler," the Dream Lord laughed. He seemed amused.

"You are so lucky that you're a phantom physically," Rose said. "Or else I'd punch you."

"There is some Jackie Tyler in you after all," the Dream Lord laughed.

"Oh, look at that, you know who my mum is." Rose rolled her eyes. "And I said punch, not slap."

"Rose," the Doctor said. "It's not worth it."

Rose looked at him and frowned. The Doctor wasn't exactly caving to the Dream Lord, but he wasn't fighting back the way she expected. Taking Jacks' hand with her left one, Rose squeezed it and then reached out to touch the Doctor's hand with her right one. The Dream Lord scoffed and sighed dramatically.

"Fine then, back to the other reality since you're all sooo worried about freezing to death."

Bird chirping echoed in the TARDIS control room.

…..

Rose woke up to splinted in her face. The elf had broken through the door and was reaching towards her. Jolting awake, Rose scrambled back from them as the memories of this reality clicked into place. Jack was already on his feet and started tugging her up. They raced down the stairs with Jack shouting a warning to Sarah Jane and the others. The former companion appeared in the doorway and looked up at them in surprise.

"What's going on?"

"Your elf decoration is some kind of alien," Jack said in a rush. "It's awake now and had turned very mean."

"The elf," Sarah Jane repeated slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Very," Rose said. "Get the kids and-"

There was a crash upstairs and a scream. Rose stopped breathing, realizing that Skye must have been upstairs. A horrified sound escaped Sarah Jane who rushed past them. Jack caught her and held her back while Rose ran back up the stars.

"Skye!"

There was no answer. Skye's bedroom door was open. It looked almost exactly like it always had with soft pastel colors. The teenager's desk was messy and Rose wasn't sure if it had been that way before. Stepping closer, Rose called for Skye and looked around, trying to find any sign of the elf.

Skye came into view, the elf perched on her shoulder and swinging its little legs cheerfully. It was holding onto a clump of Skye's hair and waved with its small free hand. Skye's eyes were glassy and the girl's expression did not change. Taking a step back, Rose called Skye's name again. There was no response.

"Rose?" Jack called.

"Rose, what is happening?" Sarah Jane demanded.

Not answering them, Rose lunged forward to grab the elf off of Skye's shoulder. The girl shifted and the elf laughed. The air shimmered around Skye and Rose froze, unsure of what was happening. The elf didn't speak and Skye began to march forward. Rose backed away.

"Rose!" Jack shouted. "Are you okay?"

"I'm okay," Rose said. "But the elf- Skye-"

"What happened?" That was Luke's voice and Rose sucked in a sharp breath. His voice was a little deeper now, but it was him.

"This is a dream," Rose said firmly. "Just a dream."

Skye reached out towards Rose. The shimmer around her hand was brighter now and Rose rushed out the room and down the stairs on instinct. Sarah Jane, Johnny, and Luke were all at the base of the stairs with Jack.

"The elf has done something to Skye," Rose explained in a rush. "It's controlling her."

"What?" Johnny asked. He started to move up the stairs, but Jack caught his arm. "Let me go! That's my daughter!"

"Let's get to the TARDIS," Jack said. "And contact the Doctor. We don't want to risk hurting her."

"There's some kind of energy field around her now," Rose added.

Skye and the elf were at the top of the stairs. Luke started to reach for his sister before thinking better of it. He said something to his mother and started pulling her towards the door. Sarah Jane made a horrible sorrowful sound and called Skye's name. It was so real. It was exactly what Rose would have imagined and it hit her like a punch in the stomach. Jack caught her eyes and looked just as lost. None the less, they herded the rest of the Chesterton-Smith family out the door and towards the Tyler house across the street.

….

The Doctor's feet hit the pavement with a solid thump and he glanced around for any sign of the elves. The window had been a tight fit to climb through, but at least he'd made it out. Searching his memory for any species like these creatures, he came up with a few possibilities that they could be based on.

Based on. He snorted a little. This was a dream, but he wasn't sure what to do with that. Of course, the Dream Lord wasn't real, wasn't a true physical being. The Doctor had a few theories about where they had picked up the psychic pollen causing the issue, but that didn't get them out of this just yet.

He shivered, remembering the Dream Lord's remarks about dying. Even knowing that it wasn't real, he wasn't in a hurry to see his companions injured. Just thinking about it, made the Doctor head down the alleyway and towards Sarah Jane's house. The TARDIS had picked up a lot of these creatures if that was to be believed, and the Dream Lord could easily make more.

Rose had known it was a dream right away. The Doctor's dual hearts sped up a little at the memory of her rapid rejection. In those first few minutes, he hadn't been sure, but she had been. The Doctor's emotions churned. The Dream Lord wasn't wrong, this reality was a play out of one of his fears. The worst nightmares had Rose dying while facing some threat on a planet far from Earth, but this was bad in a different way. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that this was a dream. It wasn't real. Rose thought of the TARDIS as home.

But that could change. She loved him, just thinking that made him warmer, but she couldn't wait forever. That wasn't fair. Shaking his head, the Doctor tried to push those worries away. But, they were the reason why he hadn't pulled the plug on this whole thing. If Rose could see… well, maybe it would give him a chance to find out how sure she was about staying with them. The Doctor groaned inwardly. The biggest reason was not wanting to put his companions through the trauma of even a simulated death, but yeah, his doubts were playing a role too.

It didn't take him long to reach Bannerman Road. The street was too quiet now. There should have been music playing and voices, but instead, everything was still. Even if this was a dream, he hoped that it meant that people were hiding. He headed straight for the Tyler house and a moment later, Rose and Jack came jogging out to meet him.

"Doctor," Jack said with clear relief. "You okay?"

"I'm fine."

"The elves took over Skye," Rose said. "Sarah Jane and the rest of the family are at my house. My mum is freaking out." Rose stopped herself and shook her head. "I know that this is a dream, but it still-"

"You sound so sure," the Dream Lord said. They turned to find him standing a few feet away, casting his eyes towards the Chesterton-Smith house with clear amusement dancing in his eyes. "What do you think, Rose?" the Dream Lord asked, stepping closer to her. "Let's all jump under a bus and wake up in the Tardis. You first."

"Leave her alone," the Doctor said. He shifted closer to Rose.

"Do that again. I love it when he does that." The Dream Lord chuckled, completely unbothered by the growing storm rolling off the Doctor. "Tall dark hero. Leave her alone." The Dream Lord looked at Rose. "Marvelous isn't it." Jack glared at the Dream Lord and pulled Rose behind him. "Nothing to add, Captain? No? Pity."

"Do you have a point to all this?" Rose asked. "Because I'm tired and I'd really like to go home."

"Which home?" the Dream Lord teased.

Rose rolled her eyes. "The real TARDIS. Not this dream world or that dream world, the real TARDIS."

"Just because you want something, Rose, doesn't mean that you can actually have it," the Dream said. He glanced pointedly at the Doctor.

"Enough," the Doctor snapped. "Enough of this. I know who you are. I know what you're trying to do."

"Course you don't."

"Yes, I do," the Doctor said. He stepped towards the Dream Lord, lowering his voice, but Rose still heard him. "I don't know who you are here, but there's only one person in the universe who hates me as much as you do."

The Dream Lord started to smile, looking very pleased at what the Doctor had said. It rolled through Rose's head, trying to click into place, but she was missing something. The Dream Lord kept his eyes on the Doctor as they stared each other down.

"Never mind me. Maybe you should worry about them."

They spun around to find a line of people marching out of the Tyler house with Sarah Jane and Jackie Tyler in the lead. All of them had elves poised on their shoulders and empty glassy eyes. Skye came out of the Chesterton-Smith house, approaching them with a heavy-looking shovel in hand. The Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and tugged her down the street as the three of them started to run.


	5. His Name

Sugar Plum Nightmare

By Lumendea

Chapter Five: His Name

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Happy New Year everyone! May 2020 be filled with good fortune and health for you and your loved ones.

…

Rose knew that she shouldn't look back, but she did. Sarah Jane's eyes were glassy. So were Luke's and all the others. Her mother was dressed in a festive jumper and looked ready for a party, not to be a puppet of some strange alien. There was no sign of Mickey and Rose wondered if that was a kindness from the Dream Lord or if UNIT was about to swoop in as part of showing her this life she was supposed to have on Earth.

Something like hatred rolled in Rose's gut before she inhaled and calmed it. This hurt. This all hurt in a strange way that tugged at her unexpectedly. But hating the Dream Lord wasn't going to help anything. Jack called to the Doctor, pointing off the road and they ran into a garden through an open gate. Neither the Doctor nor Jack hesitated, as they moved towards the back fence. Jack jumped over it and Rose followed with any arguments. The Doctor glanced back towards the road before joining them and retaking her hand.

"Is there a plan?" Rose asked.

"Not yet," the Doctor grumbled. "Not sure what these are."

"If it's all dream then there's not much point is there," Jack said. He was running alongside them as they circled around towards the Tyler house. "We just need to end the dream."

"What about a fall," Rose suggested. "That usually wakes me up from a nightmare."

"The Dream Lord will likely shove us in another nightmare," the Doctor said. "One even worse."

"That's a horrible thought." Jack peeked over a fence as they slowed down. "Clear."

"Okay," the Doctor said. "Over the fence and into the TARDIS."

In a rush of tangled limbs and nervous looks, the three made it across the Tyler garden and to the TARDIS. Jack slammed the door behind them. It was quiet and dim inside the TARDIS and a soft sigh escaped Rose. She glanced around, looking for any sign of the Dream Lord or worse a fire to drive them back out to the puppets. But the sound of birds met her a moment later. She had just enough time to groan out loud before grabbing the edge of the console and lowering herself to the ground.

….

They were back in the freezing TARDIS. The blankets around them did little to hold back the bitter cold and Rose was numb with shock for several long moments. The Doctor hugged her tightly and rubbed her arms, making her feel better in multiple ways.

"Alright?" he asked gruffly, meeting her eyes.

"Mostly," Rose said. She managed a tiny smile. "Now what?"

"You decide," the Dream Lord drawled.

He was sitting on the pilot's chair, looking rather bored, but watching Rose and the Doctor with a small frown. Rose took that as a good sign. The Doctor moved away from her, stepping closer to the Dream Lord.

"Decide?" Jack repeated.

"Yes, Captain, obviously," the Dream Lord said with an eye roll. "Which is the real world. Here on the dying TARDIS or the Land of Misfit Human Puppets."

"Neither is real," Jack said. He glanced at Rose. "We know that."

"Do you?" the Dream Lord asked. He smiled at the Doctor. "Then what are you waiting around for?"

No one answered. The Doctor wasn't glaring at the Dream Lord. His expression was oddly calm, almost resigned and Rose wasn't sure what to think of that. He wasn't angry or scared, he was tired and worn down. She wondered what sort of things the Dream Lord had said to the Doctor when they'd been separated. Without thinking about it she took a step towards the Doctor.

The Dream Lord's eyes narrowed on her and a smirk appeared on his face. "Let's divide you three up, so I can have a little chat with our lovely companion. Maybe I'll keep her, and you can have the Captain to yourself for all eternity, should you manage to clamber aboard some sort of reality," the Dream Lord sneered.

Jack tensed and tilted his head. "Rose, can you hear that?"

"No," Rose said. "Is it the birds?"

"Yes," Jack answered, glaring at the Dream Lord. "You'd better-"

"Oh, don't bother," the Dream Lord laughed, cutting Jack off.

"Rose, don't be scared. We'll be back." The Doctor grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "We're not leaving you."

"It's just a nightmare," Rose assured him. Her body ached too much from the cold for her to smile, but she nodded encouragingly. "I'll be fine."

"Always the optimist," the Dream Lord sighed.

Rose tried to catch the Doctor as he slipped to the ground. It was terrifying to see him and Jack suddenly knocked out like that as they both fell asleep on the floor of the TARDIS. Rose adjusted the blankets over them, not looking up at the Dream Lord until she was satisfied that they were as comfortable as she could make them. She knew it was foolish and useless, but it gave her the illusion of a tiny bit of control. When that was done, Rose stood up and rolled her tight shoulders. The Dream Lord was watching her with something like amusement in his eyes.

"So, what did you want to talk about? My REM sleep habits?"

"Always trying to be brave."

Rose shivered despite herself. The sting of cold in the TARDIS was painful now and a layer of frost was starting to build up. She wrapped her hands in the blanket still hanging over her shoulders. It helped, but it wasn't nearly enough.

"He always leaves you, doesn't he? Poor Rose."

"He knows I can handle myself."

"But now he's left you with me. Spooky old, not to be trusted me. Anything could happen." The Dream Lord winked.

Rose chuckled at the clumsy attempt at both flirting and scaring her. The Dream Lord was a shadow, they couldn't touch him and thus far, he'd shown no ability to physically interact with them. Even in the dreams, he was little more than a ghost. That thought made her feel better and stronger, but also nagged at her.

"Who are you, and what do you want?" Rose asked. "You've made this all very personal. The Doctor knows what you are, but he's not telling me. That's odd so you're something personal to him, something that he's…" Rose pondered it for a moment before finding the answer. "Ashamed of. You're part of something he doesn't want me to see."

"You're a clever girl," the Dream Lord replied. "But I think you overestimate yourself. Do you really think he tells you everything? That you're the one he trusts."

"I know I am."

"The only girl in the universe to whom the Doctor tells everything?"

"He's got a lot of friends," Rose said. She rolled her eyes. "And you're trying to bait me. Just get on with it."

The Dream Lord smirked. "If you think you're so important, then tell me, what's his name?"

Rose stared at the Dream Lord. Something in the way he said those words taunted her. He was clearly not expecting her to reply.

"I've only heard it once," Rose said. "It burned itself in my mind so I'll never forget it. But I've only said his name once and it was to him. So if that is what you are after then you're out of luck."

Shock filled the Dream Lord's features, surprising Rose. His eyes were wide and that smirking mouth was now ajar as he struggled for words. Gone was the arrogant master of all that was around them. Rose had surprised him, but she wasn't sure why. If that was what he was after than what she said shouldn't have had that effect. But on the other hand, if he really hadn't expected her to know…

Beside her, the screen flickered and two words flashed across it: Bad Wolf. The Dream Lord narrowed his eyes and frowned at the screen while Rose started to smile. The console room seemed a little warmer now. Maybe it was just Rose's imagination, but then again, this was a dream.

"You didn't do that, did you?" It was more of a statement than a question. "Not completely all-powerful are you, not even in a dream. First I surprise you and now that does."

"You're so certain that they are both dreams," the Dream Lord said. He was scowling now, beginning to recover from his surprise. "Curious."

"Not really." Rose shrugged. "You're a dream, it is in the name that you can't really affect reality which means that the TARDIS not working isn't real and I know that the future you showed isn't real."

"Sweet English Rose, what is it that you think you know?"

"A great deal, and it is interesting that you can't access that information," Rose said. She tilted her head and considered the Dream Lord. "You're in my mind enough to cause these illusions, but not enough to pull information from me or from Jack. This whole thing is centered around the Doctor and tormenting him." Tilting her head, Rose studied the Dream Lord. "Which means… you're using the TARDIS." Her eyes widened and worry for the time ship flooded through her. "The TARDIS is telepathic and has a link to all of us that bypasses our shields. That's how you're affecting us."

The Dream Lord didn't confirm or deny it, but there was a flash of something like pleasure in his eyes. Rose found that a bit odd, but maybe he liked them understanding what he was. Maybe the riddle was only fun if someone solved it.

"But you're linked strongest to the Doctor," Rose said. Her mind was whirling, fitting different pieces of information together. "That's why I surprised you and why you don't know that I know certain things."

"Now you're grasping at straws."

Rose's lips tried to quirk, but another painful shiver made her flinch. Interestingly, the Dream Lord shifted uncomfortably and the TARDIS seemed to get a little warmer. It was still cold, but now she could move without hot pain. She studied him and for the first time, the Dream Lord seemed a little unsure. He recovered quickly, throwing his feet up onto the console and smirking at Rose.

"And you think you're that important?" the Dream Lord laughed. "Please, nothing will ever happen. Plenty of the girls on this ship have been in love with him. Do you really think you're so different?"

"I've met plenty of those women," Rose said, stressing the word women. "And I'm not threatened by you bringing them up. Had the Doctor and I met at another time, maybe we wouldn't be so close, but what happened happened. I know I'm different. I know he loves me."

"Yes, a confession that only happened because it was dragged out of him. Hardly a promising partner."

"Love isn't based on pretty words." Rose wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "I knew how he felt before the pyramid and I don't need him to tell me to know that he feels that way." Rose paused and considered her words. "Then again, I really don't think this is a conversation I should be having with you."

"Don't be that way, Rose." The Dream Lord frowned at her. "What is there to talk about?"

"What you are for one. Where you're from and what you're after all come to mind."

"I know about me already."

"And claim to know about me already," Rose said. "So there's not much point in our conversation thus far by that logic."

"You're more interesting than little old me."

"Somehow I doubt that…" Rose trailed off and tilted her head. "Oh…" Rose exhaled slowly, staring at the Dream Lord. She was horrified, and yet not very surprised. "That's what you are. Who you are."

"Think you've solved it?" The Dream Lord seemed uneasy.

"I don't know how you're here… how you've manifested, but yes, I know who you are." Rose sighed softly and shook her head. "No wonder the Doctor's been out of sorts over this." Meeting the Dream Lord's eyes, Rose watched him sadly. "Hello, Doctor."


	6. Escaping a Nightmare

Sugar Plum Nightmare

By Lumendea

Chapter Six: Escaping a Nightmare

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

…

It only took Jack a few moments back in the TARDIS parked in the Tyler garden to realize that Rose wasn't waking up. Her eyes remained closed and her expression was peaceful, but she hadn't joined them back here.

"Doctor, he kept her back there!"

The Doctor frowned but didn't look surprised. Instead, the worry in his eyes increased and something like panic took hold. Jack shifted Rose gently so she wasn't too close to the console and where they might need to move.

"Doctor? What is going on?" Jack demanded. "You've been weird throughout this whole thing. What is the Dream Lord? Is he going to hurt Rose?"

"I don't know," the Doctor admitted. He leaned against the console, blue eyes distant. "I- I hope not, but…maybe."

"Maybe? Then we have to do something now!"

The Doctor didn't move. Jack stared at him in shock. "What is the Dream Lord?"

"He's me."

"What?"

"The Dream Lord is me," the Doctor repeated. "I'm sure that he's a manifestation caused by psychic pollen. It's a mind parasite. It feeds on everything dark in you, gives it a voice, turns it against you."

"Are you sure?"

"Like Rose said, it was two dreams. Took me a bit to be sure."

"So what has you so worried?"

"It's me, Jack!" The Doctor spun around, eyes burning. "A manifestation of my darkest memories, impulses, and emotions. And Rose is alone with it!" The Doctor inhaled sharply. "I'm sorry, Jack. I was trying to find another way out, but this nightmare has to end now. Before it hurts Rose!"

"We need to die." Jack exhaled slowly. "Okay, but I'm sure that Rose is fine." Jack met the Doctor's eyes. "Even on your worst day, you'd never hurt her."

"On my worst day, I destroyed my own planet," the Doctor snarled. He began turning switches and flipping levers. The TARDIS hummed in response, but it didn't sound happy. "This isn't real!"

"Doctor? I'm guessing we need to die," Jack said carefully, very aware that the Doctor was on a dangerous edge. "What's your plan? Go outside and let the horde…?"

"No, no, I don't need that in my head, even from a nightmare." A manic grin played at the corners of the Doctor's mouth. "We're going to blow up the TARDIS."

"Blow up the TARDIS?" Jack repeated.

But the Doctor's focus wasn't on him. The Doctor was focused on the controls of the time ship and wrestling them into position. Jack exhaled slowly and reminded himself that he absolutely trusted the Doctor, despite his recent statement. That was something to worry about later. Stepping up next to the Doctor, he simply asked how he could help.

….

It took the Dream Lord a good minute to recover himself. Rose stayed in place and studied his unfamiliar face. It wasn't like any of the others and she wondered how he'd decided on it. Or had it just been shifted together from all his faces? There was some resemblance in places to other faces he'd possessed so far.

"You are a clever girl," the Dream Lord finally said. His voice was tight and sharp, ringing with warning. "Didn't think you'd get it."

"You underestimate me," Rose answered. She shrugged a little but kept her eyes on him. While he might be the Doctor, that did not suddenly make him safe. "Someday you won't, but right now the Doctor doesn't completely understand what I'm capable of."

"I suppose not."

They stared at each other for another long moment. A laugh built in Rose's chest and escaped as a soft chuckle. She shook her head almost fondly and glanced down at the Doctor's sleeping form. Then a sigh escaped her and she looked back at the Dream Lord.

"So, this is self-loathing. Is there anything I can say to get you to stop this?" Rose met his eyes firmly. "You don't deserve this. I know there's a lot of bad in your history, a lot of things you regret, but you don't deserve this."

"You really think you know everything, don't you?" The Dream Lord's sneer was firmly in place and a storm was building in his dark eyes. Rose wasn't sure how it would manifest.

"Not everything, but enough."

"I can keep you in this dream forever."

"I really doubt that." Rose wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Don't get me wrong, this is pretty impressive, but the Doctor knows who you are so he knows that this is all fake. And now that he doesn't know what's happening to me, he'll get a little…"

"Crazy?" the Dream Lord offered. His smile was shark-like and he tilted his head as if listening to something in the distance. "He's trying to blow up the TARDIS in the other dream right now."

Rose grimaced. "And you're stopping it?"

"I can slow him down." The Dream Lord smiled. "But I did establish a framework."

"Meaning that he's got control." Rose was silent for a long moment. "So, what now? I know and you know that I know."

"There are all sorts of things we could do." The Dream Lord's smile was leering. "After all, you're trapped here with me."

"Don't even joke," Rose said. She leveled her gaze on him. "I know you and I'm certain there are things you will not do. Not to me."

"You put a lot of faith in feelings I may not have," the Dream Lord scoffed. "I'm the dark side, remember?"

"But still a side," Rose retorted. "It's not as separate as you might think."

The Dream Lord glared at her, anger and frustration building in his eyes. Rose didn't move. She wasn't sure what to expect. He might throw a temper tantrum or shift the dream around to make everything cold again. As it was, the TARDIS was too cool, but it wasn't painful anymore. Despite his blustering, he'd already made things more comfortable for her.

"I love the Doctor," Rose finally said, in a soft voice now. "The good parts and the darker parts. I don't like the darker parts, I won't lie about that, but I accept them as part of his greater whole."

"I don't believe you," the Dream Lord huffed.

Shaking his head, he began to pace, the first truly living characteristic she'd seen him indulge in. He'd gone from strange dream weaver to flustered being in seconds. She would have been proud of his reaction didn't worry her so much. Rose loved the Doctor, but he, especially his current incarnation, had a temper that swung from hot to bitter cold.

"It is true regardless if you believe it or not," Rose said gently. "But you will believe it one day."

"You'd better hope that it's enough!" The Dream Lord whirled on her and glared. "You think you know so much, but does the name The Valeyard mean anything to you?" He seemed pleased with himself until Rose answered.

"That incarnation has come up. Mel told me a bit about the trial and I asked or to you I suppose, I will ask about it." Rose smiled sadly. "But… given the other factors, I don't think I need to be worried."

The Dream Lord grumbled, wringing his hands and looking like he desperately wanted to argue, but wasn't sure how to approach the issue. Rose hated seeing the Doctor, in any form like that, and desperately hoped that their life together would ensure that the Valeyard remained a possibility only rather than a reality. All the Doctor's darkness and self-loathing manifested in this form was already more terrifying than she liked to admit. Already, she didn't like the way he was muttering to himself and glancing down at Jack and the Doctor. Rose was suddenly very worried about what he might be doing to them as a way of lashing out.

"Please calm down," Rose tried. "Just calm down. You don't need to do this, any of this."

"Maybe I'm not ready to go back to just being a shadow!" The Dream Lord's eyes jumped back to Rose. "Maybe I like being out." He looked down at his hands and flexed his fingers. "Sooner or later, I'll master this form." His gaze snapped back to Rose and he smiled. "He's afraid of you leaving, but I can keep you here forever. I can keep you with us, even he can't do that!"

"I'm not leaving," Rose promised.

It only took her a moment to make her decision. Thus far, the Dream Lord seemed to a manifestation of the Doctor, but separate enough that she hoped what was said here wouldn't be remembered by the Doctor. Stepping forward, Rose eased her death grip on her blanket and moved into the Dream Lord's space.

His eyes widened, but he didn't move away. Similar to the Doctor's seventh body, they were roughly the same height. His eyes were a sharp blue, similar to the shade of the current Doctor, but they were harsher and colder. There was a reddish hint to his hair and in the dim light was hard to see clearly. He gave off no body heat, remaining a phantom that they couldn't physically hurt. Rose expected that he could change that if he wished. The longer this went on, the more and more exact he'd become with his creations. Already, they were terrifying.

Rose pushed away her fear. Leaning forward, she called on the name burned into her mind. She wasn't sure if it was a Time Lord custom to lock away their name or not. Given what she knew of Romana, she doubted that, but for the Doctor, it was a precious secret. Rose gave voice to the name, letting the Dream Lord hear it roll off her lips.

"I am not leaving you," Rose said. "Never willingly and if I am ever lost, I know that I will find my way home."

A snarl erupted from the Dream Lord. His eyes flashed dangerously and his hands curled into fists. For an instant, Rose was a little afraid, but the Dream Lord froze at the expression on her face. Something like guilt and self-loathing washed across his features too fast for Rose to be certain of. He opened his mouth to speak only to shake his head.

Then he vanished, leaving empty air in front of Rose. Swallowing, Rose held back her hurt, reminding herself that this was probably for the best. The issue was that she was still stuck in the dream and the boys were likely facing the result of the Dream Lord's anger. But then the TARDIS began to fade. Rose felt heavy and sluggish. Leaning against the console, she let go of the blanket and groaned. She felt…something was….

Rose opened her eyes slowly. She was in a dim room on a comfortable bed. There was a vase with lilac trimmings in front of her gaze and the soft hum of the TARDIS echoed around her. Rose sat up quickly, the dreams sharp and clear in her mind. She was back in her room, at least she thought so. Throwing back the duvet, Rose clamored out of bed and rushed for the door, still in her pajamas and her hair in a braid.

The corridor was empty and silent. While there was no true day or night in the Time Vortex, the TARDIS always adjusted the lightning for her passengers. Rushing to Jack's room, Rose found the former Time Agent asleep on his bed, above the duvet and still in his clothing besides his shoes. Everything looked normal and Rose called his name. Jack did not wake. She approached carefully and shook him gently, but he still did not wake. A shout and a hard shake did nothing. A small sigh escaped her, of course, it couldn't be that easy.

"I really hope that I'm awake." Rose looked at Jack one last time and hurried out his door in hopes of finding the Doctor and a way to wake them up from the nightmare.

…

"Doctor, what's happening?" Jack reached for the screen and looked at the doorway. "They won't be able to get in, right?"

The pounding continued on the sides of the TARDIS, but then a small scraping sound near the lock made the Doctor hiss. He reached into his pocket and then sighed.

"This dream has Rose living here. They went and got her old key."

"Can't you stop it?"

"I'm a bit busy trying to blow up the ship, Jack." The Doctor huffed and shook his head. "Besides, it doesn't matter, does it?"

"I suppose not in the end. Getting torn apart doesn't seem as fast as vaporization," Jack joked.

The Doctor almost smiled, but he didn't. At least Jack trusted him on this, trusted Rose's instincts. Given how they'd met, that was both expected and surprising at the same time. Humans, even ones from thousands of years off of his favorite era, managed to surprise him.

"Sorry about this," the Doctor offered.

"Not your fault, not really." Jack held up a hand to stop the Doctor talking. "You know that Rose would say it isn't your fault so I'm saying it for her." He shrugged and glanced at the door, aware that the puppets were going to enter at any moment. "

Then the sound of singing birds reached them. The Doctor did not react and Jack struggled to stay on his feet. It didn't help and they were both swept away in mere moments.

They woke up on the dim and cold TARDIS. Jack jumped to his feet and looked around frantically. There was no sign of Rose and his stomach dropped in fear.

"She's not here," the voice of the Dream Lord said.

Jack spun to find the Dream Lord sitting on the pilot's seat. He wasn't smiling anymore and was instead looking at the Doctor thoughtfully.

"What do you mean she's not here?" the Doctor thundered.

"Tone down the Oncoming Storm," the Dream Lord huffed. "I'm trying to have a conversation here." His eyes jumped over to Jack. "Blowing the TARDIS, really?"

"You said we had to die."

The Dream Lord smiled a little, cruel pleasure lighting up his eyes. "I did, didn't I." Then the Dream Lord glanced at Jack. Birds began to sing, but only for the Time Agent who started to slump to the ground. "There you are, Doctor, losing another companion."

….

Rose leaned against the TARDIS console nervously, her eyes drifting around the room. The Doctor was asleep half under the console, caught in his repairs. This felt real, but she couldn't trust her senses. There was no sign of the Dream Lord and she was inclined to believe that he really had released her. An odd happy fluttering took hold in her chest and she felt a bit weird about being happy that even the Doctor at his worst was unwilling to torment her. Then again, he still had Jack and the Doctor.

"This was caused by something," Rose said out loud. The TARDIS hummed gently in response. "Any chance that you can show me what? If I can stop it or get rid of it then maybe they'll wake up."

At least she hoped so.


	7. The Dreams End

Sugar Plum Nightmare

By Lumendea

Chapter Seven: The Dreams End

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

…

Jack was still and snoring softly on the floor. The Doctor glanced at the doorway. The banging had stopped and he looked suspiciously back at the Dream Lord. It didn't make sense for him to stop now. Shifting his hands, he kept making adjustments to the TARDIS controls so he could cause an overload.

"I know what you're doing and I'm not going to stop you," the Dream Lord said. "Blow up the TARDIS if you like."

"You wanted to talk?" the Doctor asked. He turned and glared at the Dream Lord. "Where is Rose?"

"Your would-be lover is safe and sound." The Dream Lord's tone was mocking, but the Doctor heard a not of something else in his voice. Resignation and his gaze narrowed. "She saw through me you know." Now the Dream Lord smirked at the Doctor. "She knows that I'm you. Your darker side." The Doctor flinched despite his efforts not to. "What a terrible thing, Rose knows just how much darkness you've got rattling around inside of you." The Dream Lord paused for a moment. "But then again, I've yet to destroy a planet." He looked thoughtfully. "Maybe I should have put that in the nightmare. Save the universe by destroying Earth, that could have been fun."

"What's your point?" the Doctor crossed his arms. "Why stop and talk to me. Or are you just trying to get a reaction out of me?"

The Dream Lord scowled at him. "This is losing its shine, you know. Rose is out because of one little moment of weakness and she woke up!" His scowl deepened. "And with her gone, you and the fly-boy aren't' afraid of blowing yourselves up! You've made this boring!"

"Sorry, I'm not playing along with your fun." The Doctor did roll his eyes now. He wasn't sure if the Dream Lord was telling the truth or not about Rose. It was too easy to imagine pushing the Doctor to kill himself and Jack so they could escape while leaving Rose behind. "It must be so terrible for you."

The Dream Lord was studying him. Then the manifestation smiled. "Ah, you're unsure as to if Rose is free or not." He drummed his fingers together, looking every inch the villain he was playing. "Fair enough. Maybe I have her stashed away and so deep in her dreams that she'll never wake up. That does sound like a wonderful idea. After all, she knows I'm you and she's so very much in love with-"

The Doctor stepped forward menacingly before he thought about it, but the Dream Lord just laughed at his reaction. Suddenly, the Dream Lord's calm and control was back. That more than anything made the Doctor hope that Rose really was free. He just wasn't sure. His mind raced. He was pretty sure of the source of this manifestation and how to get rid of it once he was back in the TARDIS. The issue was Rose's telepathic abilities and how she'd cope with him suddenly cutting off the source. If she was a normal human, she'd wake as if from a dream normally.

"Debating your odds." The Dream Lord nodded as if approving. "Good, Doctor. I'm glad you're taking this so seriously."

"That pollen won't last long," the Doctor said. "The TARDIS filters have got to be clearing it out."

"Likely." The Dream Lord nodded in agreement. "But even that will take time. At least a day. You won't die of thirst or hunger in reality before she clears the system, likely at least, but then again, I can do a lot in a day. And that's if the TARDIS systems work." The Dream Lord smirked. "You've done a lot of repairs, but let's not pretend that everything is perfect."

"So, what now?" The Doctor glanced at the door again. "Leave me to be dismembered?"

"I'm trying to decide," the Dream Lord said. "Watching you grapple with self-loathing and being horrified at the notion of making your companions experience their deaths was amusing. But now that Rose is out and you and the captain know what is going on, I'm having to consider other options. What will be the most fun for me in the time I've still got." He smiled. "You understand, of course."

The Doctor didn't answer, he stared at the TARDIS controls, but didn't move. A soft chuckle from the Dream Lord nearly made him flinch.

"It was easier when your companions were around," the Dream Lord said softly. "That was my mistake. I let you have someone to protect." The Doctor couldn't hide his sharp inhale. The Dream Lord walked forward. "She does love you." He leaned forward so he could see the Doctor's face. "If you let yourself return that love, it'll be so easy. So wonderful." It was the Dream Lord's turn to exhale. "Maybe you'll even tell her the name that's been hidden away for so long. Maybe she'll say it softly to you when you're alone. Then one day, once you've let yourself bask in that warmth, in that glow, the light will go out."

"Shut up."

"That was more a plea than an order," the Dream Lord hummed. "You really would be better off taking her home. She might not love that Mickey boy of hers, but he'd be good to her. He wouldn't run away and flinch back from her whenever things get hard. She wouldn't need to support his magnitude of issues; he's got his life in order. Her mother likes him, the companions like him, and he doesn't ask anything of her. He doesn't ask her to wait."

"Don't act like you want her to go," the Doctor snapped, finally whirling back to the Dream Lord with blazing eyes. "You let her leave!"

"Yes," the Dream Lord said. A slow shark-like smile bloomed on his face. "Maybe you should too."

Then he was gone and the banging resumed.

..….

Jack shivered under his blanket as he circled the TARDIS controls. This was a dream too, he knew it, and with the cold firmly in his bones, he decided that it probably wasn't long before he died. He glanced at the Doctor who was asleep on the floor under a blanket and sighed. Rose was gone here too which made him hopeful that she was out. Then again, he worried that the Dream Lord might have tucked her away in another dream.

He wasn't sure what to do. Jack exhaled and watched his breath curl on the air. He was going to freeze to death soon. Already, he was growing tired and couldn't find the strength to get off the floor. Frost had formed a layer all across the floor, outlining the metal grating in a way that was almost pretty.

The Doctor's mood had been chaotic. Jack had already learned that the Doctor swung between manic and depression depending on what was going on with an intensity that was jarring sometimes. The remark about destroying his planet kept replaying in his mind. That was something that he hadn't heard before and something that he had a strong suspicion that the Doctor had not meant to let slip.

There was a lot he didn't know. Jack hated it even as he accepted it. He was pretty sure that Rose knew. He got the sense that her knowledge and acceptance were a lighthouse to the Doctor so he wasn't too worried. Rose was too compassionate, too moral, and too caring to accept something like planetary destruction without good reason. Though… she was in love with the Doctor. Then again, Rose wasn't a fool.

So that didn't bother Jack, not really. He was sure that if he asked Rose, she'd tell him as much as she thought was fair to the Doctor and in the aftermath of this, he had a feeling that he needed to know. The TARDIS lights flickered, dimming further around him. At this point, he waited for the shivers, but his body was too weak to even fight to warm up. He started to smile, but his lips cracked from the dryness of the air. Everything was frozen, all the moisture had been pulled from the air.

He reviewed what he did know the Doctor. The Time Lords were legendary, but the Doctor certainly fit that description. He never made references to his people and Jack hadn't known what to make of that. The stories said that the Time Lords had been isolationists and kept time travel restricted from other species. He'd assumed that the Doctor was some kind of rebel, maybe in exile. His mind went back to the whispers of the Time War, a legendary conflict that he'd never thought much about. Now though, he had to wonder.

A shuddering breath racked Jack's body. Everything was hurting, burning despite the cold and he wished that he knew enough about the TARDIS to blow it up like the Doctor had been trying. Instant death versus this pain would have been much better. His eyelids slid shut and Jack hoped that he was shutting down. If he was really lucky, maybe the Doctor would finish dealing with the Dream Lord and he'd wake up back in his own bed on the real TARDIS.

…..

Rose was running on the instructions of flashing lights and a vague feeling that she was doing the right thing. She'd never opened any part of the TARDIS console without the Doctor present. Usually, Jack was the one who helped him with tinkering while she watched or sketched. That felt like a major oversight now.

The TARDIS's hum changed again and Rose slowly pulled the long tube up and out of the console. It locked into place, not slipping back into the controls and Rose stared at it, unsure of what she was supposed to do. Light flashed on the controls, making the tube light up.

"I get that it's here," Rose said, trying to keep her voice level. Yelling at the ship wouldn't do anything useful. "Do I need to remove it all the way?" The lights dimmed around her. "Okay, not that. Uh, clean the outside?" No response, the lights stayed dim. "Clean the inside?" Rose guessed. Light flashed around her. "Okay, I can do that."

Rose darted out of the console room, almost tripping on the Doctor's legs and headed to the kitchen. They didn't have a lot of cleaning supplies on the TARDIS as the TARDIS kept most of the dust under control, but there were a few things that might be useful. In the small cupboard under the sink, Rose found a long narrow duster that she thought might be used for cleaning dryer vents. She had no idea why something like that was on the TARDIS, but it wasn't the strangest thing. Along with that, she grabbed a couple of rages for good measure.

Nothing had changed in the console room when Rose returned. There were no alarms, no shouting, and nothing external to give urgency to the situation. But the silence, the stillness beneath the hum of the ship left Rose on edge. The Doctor should be awake, tinkering in the TARDIS and cursing from time to time. Jack needed less sleep than her so he was usually awake whenever she was, chatting with the Doctor or singing along with classic songs from a random era in history. This quiet with her in the middle was wrong.

Rose used the long pipe cleaner to swab out in the inside of the tube, standing on her tiptoes to do so. A glitter of light caught her eye just before she pulled it out. There seemed to be something on the brush after all. Pulling out, Rose was going to inspect it closer when the TARDIS's hum changed to a low note of warning. It looked like a hint of glitter on the end of the brush. Nothing too alarming, but Rose cleaned off the end with a rag and bundled it up tightly.

"Was that it?" Rose asked the ship. "Anything else?"

The tube unlocked and sank back down into the console. Rose flipped the small lid that covered it closed and looked at the bundle in her hand. Was that really it? Was the source just a speck of dust? Some kind of spore or pollen?

"Do we have a biohazardous waste disposal anywhere?" Rose asked.

There was no answer and Rose had to settle for taking the bundle to the kitchen and dumping it into the trash chute. At least the trash chute on the TARDIS was a vaporization chute rather than just a collection chute. The TARDIS hummed around her and Rose took that as a good sign. Calling for Jack and the Doctor, Rose returned to the console room and found the Doctor beginning to stir.

"Doctor?"

The Doctor moved beneath the console. Gasping, Rose dropped to her knees and started to reach for him before realizing that might not be a good idea. He started to slip out from under the console and Rose shifted back to give him room.

"Doctor, are you alright?"

"Rose!"

There was a bang and Rose grimaced. "Sorry."

He twisted so that he could finish getting out from under the console and sat up. His blue eyes were wide and alert and Rose sighed softly in relief. Before he could move, she threw herself forward and hugged him tightly. He tensed and for a terrible moment, Rose was afraid that he'd push her away. But then, his arms came up around her and he cradled her against his chest.

"I'm alright," he soothed. Dry lips pressed to the crown of her head and Rose exhaled. She told herself that she should go and check on Jack, but couldn't bring herself to move quite yet.

"I helped the TARDIS clean the filters," Rose said softly. "She helped me figure it out."

"How?"

"Lights and humming mostly," Rose said. "Don't worry, I don't understand her perfectly yet."

"I fear that day."

"Liar."

"You're okay!" Jack's voice rang out and Rose twisted enough to see Jack stumble into the room. He hadn't even bothered to pull on his shoes. His smile lit up the console room and Rose smiled in return.

"I'm fine," Rose replied.

The Doctor then shifted back and examined her, his mind seeming to catch up with everything that had happened. "He didn't hurt you, did he?" There was such fear in the Doctor's eyes, that Rose rushed to reassure him.

"He didn't hurt me," she promised urgently, her fingers curling into the leather of the Doctor's sleeves. "We talked and he let me go."

"What?"

"I woke up on the TARDIS. You and Jack were still asleep. I couldn't wake either of you up so I can to the control room to see if the TARDIS could point me to what was wrong."

"So, he did let you go?"

"Yes."

Jack was staying quiet at the far side of the room, but Rose could see that he was starting to smile despite everything that had happened. She finally felt her own body relax. The Doctor was stunned and looked ready to topple over.

"I'm fine," Rose promised. "He didn't hurt me." In a soft voice, she added. "You'd never intentionally hurt me."

"You know…"

"Yeah."

The Doctor released her waist and stepped back. Rose sadly released her grip on his arms. Exhaling loudly, the Doctor turned to the controls and started checking things over. Rose wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. Thankfully, he didn't try to pull away and she stayed there for a long moment.


	8. Happy Christmas

Sugar Plum Nightmare

By Lumendea

Chapter Eight: Happy Christmas

Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the spinoff material and I gain no income off of this story, just the satisfaction of playing with the characters.

AN: Thank you for all the great comments and reviews for this year's holiday special. I'm so glad that everyone seemed to enjoy it. I'm going to give myself a couple of weeks off before resuming Journey Amongst the Stars so look for the start of the next episode for the main season on February 1.

…

There were more hugs to be had as everyone calmed down. Rose told the Doctor about removing the pollen and how she'd gotten rid of it. Just for good measure, he ran a scan of the TARDIS's internal systems to make sure that there wasn't another clump waiting to strike. Rose didn't take it personally and given how the TARDIS hummed and ran the check, neither did she.

"That was something else," Jack said. He shivered a little. "It was so real."

"It wasn't," the Doctor said gently. "It was in your head only."

"But it hurt," Jack insisted. "The cold hurt. I've never felt like that in a dream before."

"The pollen hacked into the TARDIS telepathic systems for lack of a better word." The Doctor wasn't looking at Jack and Rose wondered what she had missed. "Pain is a result of nerves being activated. The Dream Lord was able to trigger those receptors in your brain."

"I get that," Jack said. He didn't sound comforted by it. "I hate to ask…" Jack trailed off and made a sound of frustration. "Never mind."

"It's okay, Jack," the Doctor said. "You can ask?"

"Ask what?" Rose asked softly. "What did I miss?"

"My planet came up."

"Oh." Rose's shoulders slumped and she wasn't sure what to do or say. "I could tell him if you like."

"No one has to tell me," Jack said firmly. "I don't need to know."

"Maybe you do." The Doctor sighed loudly. "Have you heard of the Time War?"

"As a legend," Jack admitted. "That's all though. Two powerful time-traveling races fought over the whole of time and space. As a Time Agent, you hear about the stories, but there's never been clear evidence if any of it was true."

"It really happened."

Rose leaned her head against the Doctor's back and wrapped her arms around his stomach, hugging him from behind as he leaned against the console. She wondered just what had happened to bring up that subject.

"I'm sorry," Jack said softly.

"Yeah." The Doctor shook his head. "Things just kept getting worse and worse. To survive, my people the Time Lords wanted to-" The Doctor cut himself off. "It would have destroyed the rest of the universe and the Daleks were closing in."

"So you took out both sides," Jack said. He was almost whispering. "I- thank you."

"That's what Rose said." The Doctor chuckled, but there was no actual humour in his voice. "Anyway, I'm one of the last Time Lords. A real piece of work that calls himself the Monk survived by allying with the Eternals."

"Let's hope we don't see him for a while," Rose muttered. "No offense."

"None taken. Of all the Time Lords to survive, he would not have been my choice." None the less there was a note of relief in the Doctor's voice. Rose couldn't imagine how it felt to believe you killed your entire species only to find that someone else had survived, even if it was someone you didn't like.

"Thank you for telling me," Jack said carefully. Then he cleared his throat. "So… what now? It is still Christmas, but do you want…."

"If you don't mind, I would like to go home," Rose admitted. "Just to check on everyone if nothing else. That dream, even though I knew it wasn't real, threw me a bit."

"And we can check the decorations," Jack added. He was smiling again. It was a soft and warm smile that relaxed Rose.

The Doctor shifted, bringing up a hand to touch Rose's clasped hands. She understood the gesture and released her grip on him, but didn't go far. Coming around to his side, Rose offered him a soft smile.

"Do you want to go now or rest first?" the Doctor asked. There was a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Napping is the last thing that I want." Rose glanced down at herself and chuckled. "But maybe showers, breakfast, and getting dressed first."

The Doctor did smile a little now and Rose grinned in response. Jack made a sound of amusement and Rose realized that they'd probably been staring at each other. Suddenly, she did feel rather dirty and out of sorts. Deciding that a shower and getting dressed was probably what she needed, Rose stood on her toes and kissed the Doctor's cheek quickly as a farewell. When she walked past Jack, she did the same thing and kissed his cheek.

No one moved very fast after separating. After a hot shower, Rose dressed in jeans and a holiday jumper that the TARDIS provided her with. She still found herself glancing over her shoulder nervously for any sign of the Dream Lord no matter how many times she reminded herself that the pollen was gone.

When she walked into the kitchen, Rose eyed the clock hanging on the wall. It was a silly black cat clock, but it fit into the room well. It was early according to the clock which was kept to a twenty-four-hour cycle for her. On a normal day, she'd only just be getting up. A small yawn escaped Rose, but she ignored it. Opening the fridge, Rose pulled out some eggs and started a simple scramble.

The Doctor appeared in the doorway a few minutes later. He looked tired and sank into a chair at the small round table. Rose smiled softly when she set down a cup of tea. It might be a little early, but they needed it. With automatic movements, he added his sugar and then looked up at her. His mouth opened, but before he could say anything, Jack came into the kitchen. His hair was still damp, but he seemed to be awake.

"Morning," he greeted. Then he grimaced, looking between Rose and the Doctor. Rose gave him a smile and nodded to one of the chairs.

"Have a seat. I went simple since we're heading for London."

"We could just have your mum feed us," Jack said.

"She'd whine about that," the Doctor sighed.

"Only for an hour," Rose said.

They didn't have the energy to talk much. A tension hung in the air and Rose wasn't sure how to get rid of it. Everyone was tired now that the urgency had passed and she considered suggesting they all go back to bed, but Rose knew that she'd be scared of slipping into a nightmare. Serving up the bowl of eggs, Rose and the others ate quickly with Jack asking the Doctor only a few questions about the TARDIS's telepathic systems and how organic they were. Rose listened with one ear, but focused on eating something. The food helped, but now a nervous energy was taking over. It had a nightmare, but she still wanted to check on Earth. Maybe it was silly-

"Ready?" the Doctor asked gently, drawing Rose's attention. He was standing beside her chair with a hand extended to her. "To visit Earth?"

"Yeah."

Rose took his hand and let the Doctor pull her to her feet. Jack whistled as he washed the three plates, bowl, and pan in the sink. He turned his head enough to catch Rose's eye and winked. She almost kicked him as she and the Doctor walked past, but decided against it. It was Christmas after all.

The Doctor set the coordinates and Jack reached the console room just as the TARDIS sprang to life. Her hum was happy and alert now and Rose finally finished relaxing. Everything was okay. She leapt into action when the Doctor asked her to hold a button and laughed when Jack had to throw himself across the controls to throw a lever. The familiar whirling grind echoed around them as they landed.

"Christmas Eve," the Doctor said. He gestured to the door. "Bannerman Road."

"You sure?" Rose teased. She started reaching for the screen, but the Doctor scowled and pulled it away.

"Off you go, Jeopardy Friendly."

"Fine, Trouble Magnet. I'll take this on faith."

Rose debated going to the wardrobe to get a coat but figured she could handle the weather in the garden. Stepping outside, she found her mother already coming out of the house. Jackie rushed across the yard, wearing yoga pants and a brightly colored Christmas jumper. Her hair was recently dyed and her eyes were wide with glee. A happy sound escaped her as she threw her arms around Rose. Her daughter laughed and suffered a fierce hug without complaint. Rose patted her mum's back.

"Hi, Mum. I haven't missed Christmas yet have I?"

"No, you're right on time." Jackie released Rose and shifted back. "Mind you, he might have gotten you here a few hours ago so you could help with the food, but I'll take what I can get."

"Oh, the gratitude!" the Doctor shouted from inside the TARDIS.

Jackie made a face, but took Rose's hand and tugged her towards the house. "Well come on then. Guests have already started arriving and I haven't got all the food out! Mickey has the evening off thankfully. Provided nothing happens of course." She froze and swung her eyes over to Jack. "Are you expecting trouble? It's Christmas! Can't we have a nice holiday?"

"No trouble as far as I know." Jack smiled and stepped forward with his hand. "Jack Harkness, you must be Jackie."

"I know who you are," Jackie huffed. She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I'm not that dim." She tugged on Rose's hand again, missing Jack's surprised face.

"You've met," Rose offered with a shrug. "Just go with it, Jack."

"Uh, yes, right." Jack blinked, but recovered quickly. Rose figured there'd be questions later, but then again Jack knew how time travel worked.

"Well come on," Jackie urged. She tugged the Rose again and Rose obediently headed after her mum. Jackie immediately started talking about the latest news of the neighborhood though only half of the names meant anything to Rose.

The kitchen was warm and bright. There were platters of food out and ready to go, the oven had a ham in it by the smell in the room, and there were decorations here and there. Rose noted with relief that there weren't any unexpected photos of her and Mickey. Her mother finally released Rose and scooped up a tray, still talking at a rapid pace. Rose shook her head fondly and walked past Jack to the doorway of the kitchen. The Doctor was a bit further behind them, but following uncertainly.

"Come on," Rose laughed. "She hasn't attacked you yet so I think you're safe."

"You think." The Doctor joined her in the doorway with a soft smile. "Not the most…" He trailed off and glanced up, his cheeks coloring.

Rose glanced up and found the bit of mistletoe that had distracted him. Jack eyed the mistletoe hanging in the doorway with a pointed look and then gave Rose and the Doctor a smile. Turning on his heel, he vanished into the main room and Rose could hear his voice as he found someone to flirt with. She just really hoped it wasn't anyone she couldn't deal with him sleeping with given his future relationship with her daughter. Looking up at the Doctor, Rose found that he was blushing a little, but there was a softness in his blue eyes that surprised her.

"Feel like upholding tradition?" the Doctor asked.

"Only if you are."

"I'd like to," the Doctor said. "But… maybe not more than that. Not just yet."

"That's fine," Rose assured him.

The Doctor leaned down towards her. Rose lifted her chin. They both paused, their air between them warm and electrified. Their eyes were open, keeping eye contact and Rose braced herself for the Doctor to change his mind. She would forgive him and was about to reassure him of that when he pressed his lips to hers.

He was warm against her, his arms coming up to hold Rose gently and they stayed like that. Rose's eyes slid shut. Her hands rested on his chest as their lips move slowly against the other's. The smell of leather, oil and time surrounded Rose. There was no great passion here, just warm reassurance and love that sank into her bones, but she could feel passion lurking just beneath the surface. A noise from the main room made the Doctor pull back. A faint blush coloured his cheeks and ears, but he was smiling softly.

"Happy Christmas." The Doctor kissed her forehead.

"Happy Christmas," Rose repeated. Then she smiled. "So, are you up for being a bit social for awhile. I hear Sarah Jane."

"Maybe for a little bit." The Doctor shifted back from her but took her hand in his. "But I reserve the right to vanish into the TARDIS later."

"That's fair. Socializing and my Mum are exhausting."

The Doctor chuckled and Rose squeezed his hand before letting go. She picked up one of the trays of food and the Doctor did the same. He caught her eye and sighed dramatically. Nudging him gently, Rose almost told him that she loved him again before deciding that she didn't need to. Walking into the main room, Rose found Jack taking Sarah Jane's coat while laying on the charm. Skye spotted Rose and bolted for her, almost knocking her over and sending the food flying. The Doctor's free hand caught her and kept Rose on her feet while Skye babbled happily. Happy Christmas indeed.


End file.
